Multi-direction key is widely used on various types of information appliances (IAs) nowadays, such as mobile phones, PDAs, computer keyboards and the like. For instance, R.O.C. patent publication No. 481027 and patent No. M314411 disclose a key allowing four-way or eight-way operation.
However, the multi-direction keys mentioned above can execute only one instruction in one direction. Hence maximum number of instructions executable is limited to nine, including an eight-way key and a central key. They cannot meet the present software requirements that demand a greater number of instructions. In view of this concern, the Applicant proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,145,087 and R.O.C. patent No. I264024 a multi-instruction switch which has a control disk, an anchor member and a depressing element. The control disk can drives a first conductive element to rotate relative to the anchor member. The anchor member includes a terminal connector containing a common terminal, a first terminal, at least one second terminal and a third terminal. By rotating the control disk a first conductive element is connected to the common terminal in normal conditions, and connected alternately to a contact zone and a non-contact zone of the first terminal and the second terminal to generate multiple sets of instructions. Through the depressing element the common terminal and the third terminal are connected to output multiple sets of instructions. Hence one switch can execute multiple actions. The switch also can be made smaller in a simpler structure.
However, many users still are used to the conventional four-way or eight-way key. But due to the conventional multi-direction key has a central key it cannot be coupled with the rotary multi-instruction switch mentioned above. As a result, users still cannot use the multi-direction key and the rotary instruction switch together at the same time to meet operation requirement.